BBS Summer Meeting 2008 – Shetland

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Papa Stour, Unst, Fetlar and Bressay may sound like remote lands to be found only in the pages of an ancient saga, rather than the real destination of a BBS meeting, but it was to these and other islands of the Shetland archipelago that 16 members journeyed for the summer meeting in 2008. Mark Hill reports on just what was found in this most northern extremity of the British Isles.

hetland has been visited by several BBS members individually, but until summer 2008 had never been the BBS Summer location for a Society meeting. So when Paul Harvey offered his services asS Local Secretary, the offer was accepted with Field Meeting alacrity. The logistics of the meeting were quite complicated. Paul wanted to cover the archipelago as widely as possible, concentrating on localities that had not been previously explored. The planned on Shetland itinerary took in the islands of Yell, Unst, Fetlar, Whalsay, Bressay, Papa Stour and Out Skerries, as well as the Shetland Mainland. In order to achieve 12–21 July 2008 this, we needed to stay in Lerwick and on Unst, and to catch numerous ferries. Furthermore, to make the best use of BBS expertise, Paul recommended that we should work in small groups, typically 3–4, each with its own itinerary. Our main transport was a minibus, usually driven by Paul, together with a hired car which went to Unst. The presence of the car was fortunate because 16 x Saxa Vord at the northern end of Unst. Sam Bosanquet

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of us could fit in the bus but not comfortably with our luggage. Paul Harvey was from Shetland. Niklas Lönnell came from Sweden. Miquel Jover came from Catalonia. The rest of us – Sam Bosanquet, Maren Flagmeier, Lorna Fraser, Claire Geddes, Dave Genney, Mary Ghullam, Mark Hill, Nick Hodgetts, Mark Lawley, Brendan O’Hanrahan, Sean O’Leary, Sandy Payne and Chris Preston – were from mainland Britain. In the account that follows, species with an asterisk (*) are those that have been confirmed new for Shetland by the BBS Recorders.

Saturday 12 July Having spent the night in Lerwick, we set off for Yell. heath, Chris Preston observed large quantities of party on Unst, Chris examined some concrete at n Schistostega pennata (left) and Campylopus schimperi One party visited the Loch of Lumbister and Dale a puzzling golden-leaved Dicranum, which could Baltasound, finding more Bryum pallescens and (right) growing on Unst. Sam Bosanquet of Colvister, and found Odontoschisma elonga- be interpreted as non-flagelliferous D. leioneuron some Didymodon sinuosus. The party that went tum, Scorpidium cossonii*, Philonotis caespitosa, (suggestion rejected by Recorder of Mosses), or as to the peninsula of Lamb Hoga met with very Haplomitrium hookeri was found on a roadside, Racomitrium sudeticum* and Sphagnum austinii. non-undulate D. bonjeanii or as D. scoparium with acid ground and recorded little of note except but the most astonishing discovery was Grimmia Another group visited a site with the evocative name a non-toothed back of nerve. Also on serpentine, for Lophozia sudetica and, on a stone by Papil tergestina*, in a 4×2 cm patch on vertical concrete Freedom, where they saw Nardia geoscyphus. A they found Racomitrium canescens* at the Keen of Water, Schistidium apocarpum*. Another group by the cattle grid over Green Burn. third party went to the east coast, finding Soleno- Hamar. A third group visited Hermaness, marvelling went further east to Funzie, where there was On our return to Unst, Mark Lawley found stoma sphaerocarpum (=Jungermannia sphaero- at its magnificent bird cliffs and lunching to the basic ground with Homalothecium lutescens and Zygodon rupestris* on serpentine rock at the Keen carpa), S. subellipticum (=J. subelliptica) and Nardia chatter of innumerable gannets. They did not find Trichostomum crispulum, and a coastal flush with of Hamar. Sam’s car stopped to examine serpen- compressa at Skurdie Geo, and Tortula viridifolia anything new for Shetland except for Campylium Haplomitrium hookeri. Their best find was Barbilo- tine ground at Sobul, where there were Scapania near Gossabrough. The fourth group explored protensum* by the Loch of Cliff on the outward phozia lycopodioides*, in species-rich, spongy, scandica, Racomitrium canescens and a remark- an area of relatively undisturbed blanket bog at journey. A small party, comprising Niklas, Sam and flushed turf on a small, level, cliff-top area on the able form of Campylopus schimperi, producing Black Park, where they saw Sphagnum austinii, Sandy, went to Saxa Vord, where in 1907 David coast. A third group examined Mires of Gravins and slender innovations reminiscent of those seen in S. magellanicum and Tetraplodon mnioides*. A Lillie had found Sphagnum lindbergii at its only low- the serpentine hills that drain into them. The mires C. flexuosus. short examination of the Loch of Garth produced altitude site in the British Isles. Here, the Sphagnum were partly base-rich, with Calliergon giganteum Orthotrichum rupestre. Then, at the end of the was duly refound. In block scree, Glyphomitrium and Philonotis calcarea. On acid ground nearby Tuesday 15 July afternoon, we gained time as a ferry to Unst daviesii* (lurking deep in a scree hole), Kiaeria was Sphagnum compactum, not seen elsewhere Most of the party went to Whalsay, notable for its departed 15 minutes earlier than that on which we blyttii* and Schistostega pennata* (locally frequent) on the meeting. Niklas found a large colony of large fishing fleet and prosperous community. The were booked. were new for Shetland. Cephalozia leucantha, Pterogonium gracile* on the south-facing cliffs of group that recorded the golf course at Skaw Taing Lepidozia pearsonii, Dicranodontium denudatum Stackavord, near to where Mary saw a big tuft of had the satisfaction of visiting a hectad that had Sunday 13 July and Diphyscium foliosum were seen at Saxa Vord, Campylopus schimperi. The group was interested only one previous record, Schistidium maritimum, Paul Harvey and Mark Lawley led a group to the but nowhere else on the meeting. The Schistostega to see Schistidium frigidum, which had earlier found in 1898. We raised the total to 31. The group southwest of the island, recording Philonotis was totally unexpected; it is very rare in Scotland been demonstrated to the party by Sam. Mark that visited the Loch of Huxter found much better caespitosa near Belmont. Another party visited and had not previously been recorded north of Glen Hill found Grimmia dissimulata* on serpentine ground, with calcareous flushes in which grewLeio- the serpentine hills of Muckle Heog and Nikka Nevis. rock on Vord Hill. The fourth group went to the colea collaris (=alpestris), Harpanthus scutatus*, Vord, where they saw Frullania dilatata (only seen Mires of Oddsetter, also partly basic, where Plagiomnium elatum and Tortella densa*. Sean twice on the meeting), Herbertus stramineus, Monday 14 July they saw Calypogeia sphagnicola, Cephalozia found Porella cordaeana near the loch. The coast Antitrichia curtipendula, Bryum pallescens* and We took the ferry to Fetlar and explored the island. loitlesbergeri, Cladopodiella fluitans, Rhizomnium near Huxter produced Oxyrrhynchium hians and Hymenostylium recurvirostrum. In thyme-rich While Paul went to pick up the rather scattered pseudopunctatum and Sphagnum contortum. Ulota hutchinsiae, together with more of the

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leioneuron-like Dicranum that had been found on ana, Scapania subalpina, Campyliadelphus chryso- Porella platyphylla, Reboulia hemisphaerica*, Cincli- the Tuesday. Between them, the two parties found Unst. Another group went to the centre of the phyllus and Physcomitrium pyriforme. A surprising dotus fontinaloides, Climacium dendroides, Cirri- most of the Atlantic species that Derek Ratcliffe island, and made the only record of Riccardia pal- sight was a small group of black cattle, one of whom phyllum (=Eurhynchium) crassinervium, Mnium and Jean Paton had discovered there in 1968 and mata on the meeting, but did not find good ground. had a bright blue nose. Another party went along marginatum*, Neckera complanata and Syntrichia 1971, as well as a few new ones. Notable finds were The fourth group went to Ronas Hill, but as most of the coast near Aith. Here, Sandy Payne demon- montana (=intermedia), all of which are very rare on Anastrepta orcadensis, Barbilophozia atlantica, the rest of the party also went there 2 days later, on strated how to find Radula aquilegia and Sanionia Shetland. Chris took home Weissia controversa, a Bazzania pearsonii*, B. tricrenata, Herbertus 17 July, the report of this excursion is combined with orthothecioides, and in the process discovered a form disconcertingly intermediate with W. perssonii, stramineus, Lepidozia cupressina, Marsupella that of the later one. second colony of Barbilophozia lycopodioides. Of lacking quadrate cells over the nerve on some leaves emarginata var. pearsonii*, Mastigophora woodsii, course, he already knew well enough how to find but having these in small patches on others. Back Plagiochila carringtonii, P. spinulosa, Scapania orni- Wednesday 16 July the Sanionia, but had only recently learnt the trick in Lerwick, Sam bryologized in the town, recording thopodioides, Andreaea alpina, A. rothii, A. rupes- Having returned to our lodgings in Lerwick, we again of looking for R. aquilegia in very short coastal turf. Barbula convoluta var. sardoa*, Lunularia cruciata tris, Campylopus atrovirens var. atrovirens, Grimmia took a ferry, this time to Bressay. The party that went Walking rapidly back to catch the bus, he found and Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis. He donniana, Oligotrichum hercynicum, Racomitrium to Noss enjoyed the spectacular bird cliffs. They Calypogeia azurea in a rabbit hole and Harpanthus did not realize that subsp. ruderalis was a v.-c. heterostichum s.s.* (previously found, but nobody met a man who, in spite of having climbed all the flotovianus in an Aulacomnium palustre tuft. Chris record, and departed next day without a specimen. had bothered to collect it) and R. sudeticum. The Munroes and now tackling the Marilyns (cliffs with Preston, in another party, found Weissia perssonii. Scapania had eluded Jean Paton and was found a drop of 500 ft), still thought there was something We could have been overlooking it elsewhere, Thursday 17 July only with intense searching. Mark Lawley spent a extraordinarily strange about bryology. They found recording it mistakenly as W. controversa – to The group split into two, one party going north to long time concentrating on a small patch of ground Plagiomnium cuspidatum in coastal turf in both which it is indeed very close. This party, which Ronas Hill and the other south to South Mainland until eventually his persistence paid off. He found the northern and southern parts of the island, as was in Sam’s hired car and not dependent on the in a different hired car, which was driven by Dave one shoot. Then Nick Hodgetts found a couple more well as Campyliadelphus elodes in short maritime bus, then went to a field with limestone outcrops Genney. At Quendale we met up with Jill Black- in the same patch, Sean had a few more shoots turf affected by sea spray. Dave Genney, who was on Mainland southwest of Loch of Asta, recording adder, a local naturalist who writes for the Shetland nearby and Mark found another small colony about in possession of an excellent GPS, told us that we Times, and explored the links. Most of the ground 20 m uphill. Maybe only 10 shoots were seen in all. ought all to be making automatic route maps. v Sanionia orthothecioides on Whalsay. David Genney was very dry, but Niklas found Preissia quadrata in On Bressay, the party that visited the Lochs of , Pterogonium gracile, new to Shetland, on Fetlar. Niklas the one wet area that was visited. Next stop was Friday 18 July Grimsetter and Seligeo found Calypogeia neesi- Lönnell the Burn of Geosetter, where Niklas found Hetero- We set off early to visit Papa Stour, an island with a cladium heteropterum and Thamnobryum alope- glorious range of natural features, including caves, curum. After a scenic lunch overlooking St Ninian’s arches, a subterranean passage and (marked on the Isle the party went to a limestone ravine on the map) The Loch that Ebbs and Flows. The weather east coast at Ocraquoy. With the shelter and lime- forecast was bad, but the sunshine and views were stone came a flora that would be unremarkable brilliant, with Ronas Hill standing out cloudless in southern Britain but was quite exceptional in above the bluest of seas. A small group, consisting Shetland, including Conocephalum conicum*, C. of Paul, Mark Lawley and Brendan, detached itself salebrosum*, Leiocolea turbinata*, Cinclidotus and visited sites on the mainland, making all the fontinaloides, Eucladium verticillatum c.fr., Oxyr- v.-c. records for the day, namely Grimmia longi- rhynchium hians, Eurhynchium striatum, Hygro- rostris* at West Burrafirth and Schistidium crassi- hypnum luridum, Plagiomnium rostratum and pilum* at Kergord Plantations in Weisdale. Other Zygodon viridissimus var. stirtonii. Another stream species seen by this group, but not or only once on limestone, at Fladdabister just to the north, elsewhere on the meeting, included Dicranella added Ditrichum gracile, Fissidens taxifolius var. cerviculata and Didymodon luridus at Snarra Ness, pallidicaulis and Pogonatum nanum, as well as Frullania dilatata, Metzgeria violacea (=fruticulosa), Pseudephemerum nitidum and Tortula truncata on Porella platyphylla, Radula complanata and Zygo- ruts. don rupestris in Weisdale, and Porella arboris- The party that went to Ronas Hill covered much vitae, Dicranoweisia cirrata and Hedwigia stellata the same ground as that which had been there on at West Burrafirth.

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42 FieldBryology No97 | Feb09 FieldBryology No97 | Feb09 43 Meeting Report – Shetland

v Far left top. Schistidium maritimum on coastal rocks. David Genney v Far left bottom. Mark Hill at the end of the world! David Genney v Centre. Schistidium frigidum was the commonest member of the apocarpum group in Shetland (Saxa Vord, Unst). Sam Bosanquet v Right. Sandy Payne searching for Radula aquilegia on Papa Stour. Nick Hodgetts

The magical world of Papa Stour did not result Saturday 19 July The prequel had alerted Sam to the fact that the and Pleurozium schreberi are quite uncommon. in many new or rarely reported species, but This was the day planned for Out Skerries, but most frequent Schistidium in the apocarpum group Campylopus brevipilus is the most abundant delighted us with its natural features and wind- it was chilly, wet and windy. Paul Harvey asked was S. frigidum* (with eventually 14 records, fol- member of its genus. Hypnum resupinatum is com- pruned turf. The group with Sandy Payne and whether we were really up for the visit. We said lowed by S. apocarpum and S. crassipilum, each moner than (and quite distinct from) H. cupres- Nick Hodgetts, now working together to search yes and went to the ferry, but the ferrymen told us with 6, and S. strictum with 2). He also found siforme. However, the ‘top 20’ most frequent for Radula aquilegia and Sanionia orthothecioides, that while they would take us to Out Skerries in the Dicranella crispa* on a clayey shale stream bank species are mostly not remarkable: Aneura pin- found Radula in all three of its monads (1-km morning, they could not guarantee to bring us back at Catpund and (with Chris Preston) Sphagnum guis, Diplophyllum albicans, Frullania tamarisci, squares) and Sanionia in one of them. Another in the afternoon. We therefore switched to more capillifolium subsp. capillifolium* at Troswick. The Lophozia ventricosa, Nardia scalaris, Scapania group, to the east, noted Weissia perssonii mundane recording on Mainland. Claire and Sandy sequel showed that the Quendale group had been gracilis, Calliergonella cuspidata, Dicranum sco- and, by Gorda Water, tantalizingly unidentifiable visited a mire near Vidlin. Mark Lawley set off on his lamentably inept in finding the good ground and parium, Kindbergia praelonga, Hylocomium splen- Fossombronia sp. and Ephemerum serratum own and found Lophozia excisa*, Preissia quadrata, had missed Leiocolea gillmanii, Moerckia hibernica dens, Hypnum jutlandicum, Isothecium myosur- agg. The third group began by recording cliff Anomobryum julaceum, Didymodon spadiceus, s.l., Marchantia polymorpha subsp. montivagans, oides var. brachythecioides, Mnium hornum, tops, and made a special point of looking at the Schistidium strictum* and Tortula truncata in or near Amblyodon dealbatus, Catoscopium nigritum and Philonotis fontana, Polytrichum juniperinum, Raco- fragment of land in the monad at the north tip of the ravine at Swining. Most of the party went to the Distichium inclinatum, which were thriving 1.2 km mitrium lanuginosum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Quida Ness. Only 10 species were in the monad, Burn of Valayre, an attractive ravine with Anthelia to the north-east at North Green of Huesbreck. Sphagnum denticulatum, S. subnitens and Ulota namely Scapania gracilis, Archidium alternifolium, juratzkana, Anomobryum julaceum and Pogonatum Finally, the sequel group crossed the tombolo to St phyllantha. The exception is I. myosuroides var. Campylopus brevipilus, Kindbergia praelonga, nanum. A small wood at Voxter produced Ulota Ninian’s Isle, refinding the huge colony ofEucladium brachythecioides, which is almost ubiquitous and Hypnum jutlandicum, Isothecium myosuroides crispa on planted elder. In the afternoon, two verticillatum where it had been discovered, new to undoubtedly a great speciality. var. brachythecioides, Schistidium maritimum, groups visited moorland and blanket bog near Shetland, by a non-bryologist in 1974. Finally, the rest of us would like to thank Paul Har- Trichostomum brachydontium and Ulota phyl- Sullom Voe, but the peat hags, though extensive, By the end of the meeting we had data from 120 vey for his splendid organization and for driving us all lantha. If every skerry were to be examined, were dried-up and remarkably poor in hepatics. monads, averaging 38 records in each. We made over the islands. He made possible, with generous these must surely prove to be some of the most The third group went to Gunnister, where they saw 34 v.-c. records. We all saw species new to us. financial support for transport from the Shetland frequent plants on Shetland coasts, together with Hedwigia stellata on dry granitic rocks and found Many delighted in the otters, porpoises, seals and Amenity Trust and Scottish Natural Heritage, what Amblystegium serpens, which was found on many Cynodontium jenneri* on a stone wall and on a gannets. It was a most enjoyable and memorable the BBS had not previously attempted, a full-scale other cliff tops and indeed by the second group ledge on low perpendicular rocks nearby. excursion. Surprisingly, Shetland does not have and wide-ranging field meeting on the archipelago. in another fragmentary monad at Lamba Ness. In any bryophytes that are absent from mainland the afternoon, the forecast rain descended, and Conclusions Britain. To most southerners, it seems almost like Mark Hill when we got back to Mainland, we were surprisingly The meeting had a prequel (Sam on 11 July) and another world, treeless and with everywhere in CEH Wallingford, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, cold. a sequel (Claire, Paul, Nick and Sandy on 20 July). proximity of the sea. Brachythecium rutabulum Oxfordshire OX10 8BB (e [email protected])

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